Day 11 Insane Itchiness!

Hello to the wonderful people in this community! The people-pleaser in me is having a hard time taking the space to post again after I just posted a couple days ago but I'm pushing past it

I'm on Day 11 of the program and am still so pleased with the progress I've made, namely physical symptoms changing drastically, getting in touch with some deep-seated emotions, and finding my power.

Ironically, a lot of my symptoms have lessened or changed, but the thing I've been dealing with the most the past few days is really intense itchiness. It's not all the time, and it's constantly moving around to different areas of my skin and body, so it's easy to intellectualize that it isn't *really* real. However, that doesn't seem to be stopping the itch. I've tried investigating what's going on emotionally and stress-wise, and right now that's a LOT with what's going on in the world, my workplace, and now even some of my intimate friendships (ugh). I'm journaling a ton, especially about severe bullying I experienced growing up. Trying to work through the potential emotional stressors but the itchiness is driving me nuts in the meantime. If anyone has any ideas on how to handle the incessant itch I'm very open! Thank you for any ideas!

 

Howdy...that's a tricky one. It's obviously hard not to scratch a bad itch, which while harmless in the big picture, means you are paying attention to the symptom and can perpetuate it. I experience something similar. After most of my symptoms healed, one came back in which I often get a build up of phlegm in my throat. It's just enough to make me want to cough it up. I feel like every time I do, my brain is thinking it's distracting me and therefore will continue the symptom. It's not worrisome, but annoying nonetheless. I'm still working on it.

The only thing I can think of is to go hardcore TMS thinking when the itch pops up. Tell your brain to stop it, that it's just a symptom substitution, that you are not in danger despite any stress going on around you. Try your best to laugh it off, think about any anger, fear, worry, you have going on at the moment, etc. Your brain will lay off if you can prove you don't care about the itching. Like all things TMS related, it's easier said than done, but you can definitely do it. And if it continues longer than you hope, don't worry that you're doing something wrong, you're not. These things just take time.

 

I have had this same mystery itching and it IS TMS. There is nothing there, but the itchiness is very real.

I have been on a barn burner of a project for work. I don't like it. I like my job in general, But THIS project sucks....and of course I am the only one the Boss wants on it.

The other day the old 'itch til it bleeds' started up on my foot. Nothing there. No rash, no bite, no athletes foot...nothing. Can't stop itching it.

Working a cue I got from a fellow TMS believer, I backtracked what had gone on right before I noticed the itching, burning sensation begin. My boss had just been by to look at the job. He complimented me on how well it was going.....AND DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THE JOB!

15 minutes after he left, I was itching so bad I couldn't work, but had to pull my shoe off and scrape it with a drywall knife.

My reward for doing a good job on a shitty project was... MORE responsibility and pressure. The 6 year old in me was raging... but the adult just got distracted by an incurable itch. As soon as I realized what I am telling you here, it went away and has stayed away, though I have had to focus on how much I don't like what I am doing.

I have also had a 'spot' on the outside of my calf that has been my TMS thermometer my whole life. It will start itching for no particular reason. Nothing there. I have been itching it on and off the last few weeks.....oftentimes right before I have a baseball game (nerves? anxiety?) No matter how friendly the game, I always want to win deep down inside myself.

I have two close friends that suffer from eczema...and they are two of the most stressed out people I know. I think that's just a more repressed or more intense version of what I get.

but yeah, It is serving the same purpose. Maybe pay attention to what's going on inside of you immediately preceding these needs to itch????

-peace

 

This is so helpful!!
I’ve just had two/three days of itchy skin popping up all over the place with no rash or any indication if anything going on. I am in the middle of a lot of travel with a lot of inner triggers. I did some JournalSpeak this morning and oh boy do I have some anger!! But you’d never know, even I didn’t know. I really had repressed the rage and the shame and the sadness and the sense of abandonment and being slighted. It doesn’t matter if none of these things actually happened, my inner 12 year old thinks so and that’s what matters. I find it so hard to be present with my emotions, but of course that is almost the definition of a TMSer. Going to double down on ignoring the itch, being really kind and compass to myself, and trying to remember to have fun. Which I also find really hard!! Another classic TMS characteristic

 

I have scalp itch that I believe is TMS. It went away for about 4 days after I did some journaling that affected my emotions. But it came back. I keep trying.